'Beating India in India is a far higher thing to strive': Former England spinner Graeme Swann

'Beating India in India is a far higher thing to strive': Former England spinner Graeme Swann

Graeme Swann

India scripted history after winning the Gabba Test and breaching Australia's fortress. The visitors ended Australia's 30-year long streak in Brisbane and also sealed the series (2-1) going on top of the WTC table.

Former England spinner Graeme Swann congratulated India and called them "virtually unbeatable" after their historic Test triumph in Australia. He went on to say that if England manages to beat hosts India, it could be bigged that Ashes.

"England always saying 'well the Ashes are coming up'. Australia are not the best team in the world anymore. They used to be, by miles, ... they're not now, but we're obsessed with this," Swann told tabloid 'The Sun'.

Joe Root and Co. will be touring to India for a four-match Test series, beginning on February 5, followed by five T20 Internationals and three ODIs.

"We have to move away from looking forward to the Ashes series. I think beating India in India is a far higher thing to strive for right now. They're virtually unbeatable in India since we beat them in 2012. Why isn't that the whole thing?" he asked.

According to Swann, if England wants to be at the top in the cricketing world, they should move away from the fixation of just trying to beat Australia in away series.

He urged the young English team to learn from past mistakes and learn to take on the spin like Kevin Pietersen, who's prolific scores helped England beat India at home.

"Why aren't people saying 'right, this is a chance to get this team with good players of spin, use their feet, change the whole way we face spin bowling, and then we can beat India'.

"We're not going to beat India unless spinners are taking wickets and then we've got someone batting like we had with Kevin Pietersen."

Swann feels former captain Pietersen changed the way England played against spin.

"He was ultra-aggressive. Let's face it KP was a brilliant player and he batted unbelievably well there.

"We haven't done it since, we haven't learnt from how Kev batted on that trip and haven't gone on and used that as the blueprint."

(Inputs from PTI)